Comey reportedly closed Clinton case over Russian intel he knew was false

(Image credit: Alex Wong/Getty Images)

When former FBI Director James Comey abruptly closed the investigation into Hillary Clinton's private email server last summer, it was in response to a piece of Russian intelligence purporting that then-Attorney General Loretta Lynch had assured the Clinton campaign the investigation would not be vigorously pursued. Comey reportedly knew that the Russian intelligence was actually false, officials with knowledge of the situation told CNN.

Officials told The Washington Post Comey felt he had "little choice" but to close the investigation "because he feared that if ... the secret document leaked, the legitimacy of the entire case would be questioned."

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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.